A data center proposed next to a former nuclear power plant in Wiscasset, Maine, is facing strong opposition from residents.

As reported by DCD last month, local authority the Wiscasset selectboard has been contacted by a site assessor about the potential construction of a data center adjacent to the electrical infrastructure of the former Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant.

Using the existing power infrastructure could accelerate the construction process, though it is not yet known if it would be suitable for connecting a large load user like a data center.

Though the board maintains that it does not yet have enough information to form an opinion on the plan, residents who spoke at a council meeting on October 7 voiced concerns about the scheme’s impact on their community, around power supply and environmental impact.

In comments reported by Wiscasset Newspaper, Sam Godin, a resident of nearby Westport Island, said: "There are questions here that could have huge consequences not just for Wiscasset, but for Westport, Edgecomb, Georgetown, Boothbay, Southport. I hope you're doing your due diligence, because once (it's) here, it's a vampire. You're never getting rid of it."

Many residents were worried that the council had signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with the company interested in developing the site, meaning details were not being made public.

Selectmen's chair Sarah Whitfield told attendees the town signed the NDA because it “wanted to learn more about the potential investors.” She added: “Because the project is conceptual, the parties involved didn't want their identities known, which is very common early in development projects.”

The data center would be built on 300 acres of land currently owned by the town of Wiscasset. The Maine Yankee plant operated from 1972 to 1996, but became uneconomical to run, leading to its closure and subsequent dismantling between 1997 and 2005.

When operational, the plant had a capacity of 860MWe and spanned an 820-acre plot of land. Concerns persist regarding the final disposal of the plant’s nuclear waste, as much of it remains on the site.